Threaded connector for pole, machinery and structural elements

ABSTRACT

A threaded connector for securing a panel member to a structure and for adjusting the position of the panel member relative to the structure. The connector comprises an elongate one-piece stud, a first spacer, a threaded nut, a second spacer and a turning formation. The connector permits the panel member to be mounted on the stud and the stud to be rotated to adjust the position of the panel member relative to the structure.

PRIOR APPLICATION

This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/978,794 filed Dec. 27, 2010 and U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 61/290,584 filed Dec. 29, 2009.

This invention relates to threaded connectors for securing a structuresuch as a post, pole or panel to a support. In a further embodiment, theinvention relates to a threaded connector for securing a panel member toa structure, such as a post.

BACKGROUND

Posts and poles, such as long utility poles, can be difficult to mounton a supporting surface such as a concrete base so that they are trulyvertical. Because of this difficulty, special base attachments have beendeveloped to allow the orientation of the post or pole to be adjustedafter it is first mounted on the concrete base. However, the knownsystems can be fairly complex and relatively expensive.

It is also often necessary to mount machinery, such as manufacturingequipment, so that the base of the machine is completely horizontal andvarious connectors have been developed for this purpose. For example,U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,743 issued Oct. 28, 2008 to ALSTOM Technology Ltd.describes a fastening arrangement for a machine base, this arrangementbeing connected to and supported by a concrete base into which extendsan inner anchor shank. A steel foundation plate is mounted on theconcrete base and the machine base is mounted on top of this plate. Aso-called anti-fatigue bolt/stud connects the machine base to thefoundation and is screwed into the top end of the anchor shank. Asecuring nut can be threaded onto the threaded upper end of thebolt/stud.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,271 issued Jul. 8, 1997 to M. D. Nunez describes amechanism for adjusting the vertical orientation of a fence postassembly having a flat mounting plate located at the bottom end of thepost. A pair of bolts 50 pass through openings in the plate and are usedto mount the plate to a concrete pad or slab. Two or more spaced apartlevelling bolts extend through respective holes in the plate. Byadjusting the position of these bolts or screws, the plate can belevelled on an uneven surface so that the vertical axis of the post isvertical.

Special mounts have also been developed for attaching panels, such asglass panels, that can be used along elevated railings or stairways.Special mountings of these types are available from the company CRL.These glass sheet mounts are provided with a mounting plate and attachedto a surface of this plate are cylindrical steel connectors which can bemade of stainless steel and which are internally threaded. Theseconnectors can be connected to the mounting plate by centrally locatedscrews that extend through the plate and they are provided with a pairof round caps that can be threaded into the central holes of theconnectors. The inside surface of each cap engages one side of the glasssheet and acts to press the sheet against the cylindrical portion of theconnector. The cylindrical steel connectors are sometimes referred to asstandoffs and a surface to which they are connected is sometimesreferred to as fascia.

It is important that the aforementioned glass panels are installed sothat they are plumb and in line with one another. Small imperfections onthe mounting surface or fascia may result in vertical misalignment ofthe standoffs and difficulties in lining up the panels. Although ashimming process can sometimes be used to alleviate these problems, itis not a very accurate method and often requires that the alreadymounted glass panel be taken off its connectors in order to give accessto the mounting connectors. Another difficulty with the installation ofthese panels is that the mounting surface or fascia and/or the glasspanels can easily be damaged.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved threaded connectors, which canbe used to secure a structure such as a post, pole or panel to a supportbase or support surface and which will also allow some adjustment to theposition of the structure during the mounting process.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a threadedconnecting mechanism for securing a structure to a support and adjustingthe position of the structure relative to the support includes an anchormember having a passageway formed therein and extending to one end ofthe anchor member. This passageway is threaded for at least a portion ofits length. The connecting mechanism also has an elongate connectingmember having first and second opposite ends, a relatively wide sectionspaced from the opposite ends, and externally threaded first and secondsections extending from opposite sides of the central section. The firstsection is threadable into the passageway of the anchor member to securethe connecting member to the anchor member, and the second section ismade with a turning formation for turning the connecting member about acentral longitudinal axis thereof. The turning formation is located atthe second end. The connecting mechanism further includes a threaded nutthreadable onto the second section in order to secure the structure tothe connecting member. During use of the connecting mechanism, theturning formation is engageable with a turning tool in order to threadthe connecting member into or out of the passageway and thereby adjustthe position of the structure.

In an exemplary embodiment of this connecting mechanism, the turningformation is a non-circular socket formed in the second end.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a threadedconnecting mechanism for securing a structure to a support and adjustingthe position of the structure relative to the support includes anexternally threaded connecting member having first and second oppositeends and adapted for connection to the support so that a threadedportion thereof projects from the support. There is also a flanged nuthaving a threaded passageway formed therein, a central longitudinalaxis, and an annular flange extending radially outwardly relative to thelongitudinal axis. The flange is located at an inner end of the nut andhas a bearing surface for supporting the structure facing away from theinner end. The nut has a narrower portion extending from the flange toan outer end of the nut and has a turning formation on the narrowerportion. The nut is threadable onto the threaded portion of theconnecting member so as to leave a threaded end section projecting fromthe outer end of the nut when the connecting member is affixed to thesupport. A second nut is threadable onto the threaded end section inorder to secure the structure to the connecting member. During use ofthis connecting mechanism, the turning formation is engageable with aturning tool in order to thread the flanged nut closer to or furtherfrom the support and thereby move the structure towards a desiredposition.

In one particular embodiment of this connecting mechanism, the threadedconnecting member is elongate and has threads extending from its firstend to the opposite second end.

According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, aconnecting mechanism for securing a structure to a rigid support bymeans of an internally threaded nut allows an initial position of thestructure relative to the support to be adjusted. This connectingmechanism includes an attachment device forming a passageway extendingto at least one end of the device and being at least partially threadedalong the length of the passageway. The mechanism further includes aconnecting member having first and second opposite ends, a relativelywide section spaced from these opposite ends, an externally threadedfirst section extending from a first side of the wide section to thefirst end, and an externally threaded second section extending from anopposite side of the wide section to the second end. The first sectionis threadable into the passageway to secure the connecting member to theattachment device. The second section is made with means for turning theconnecting member about a central longitudinal axis thereof. The turningmeans is located in the region of the second end. During use of thisconnecting mechanism, the turning means is engageable with a turningtool to thread the connecting member into or out of the passageway inorder to adjust the position of the structure from the initial positiontowards a desired position. The threaded nut can be threaded onto thesecond section to secure the structure to the connecting mechanism.

In a particular version of this mechanism, the turning means is anon-circular socket formed in the second end and the wide section isapproximately mid-way along the length of the connecting member with thefirst and second sides of the wide section being flat and annular.

According to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure, aconnector for securing a structure to a rigid support by means of aninternally threaded nut allows an initial position of the structurerelative to the support to be adjusted and comprises an integralconnecting member having first and second opposite ends and a relativelywide section spaced from these opposite ends. The connecting member alsohas a first section extending from a first side of the wide section tothe first end and forming a screw-like thread which tapers to a point.There is also an externally threaded second section extending from anopposite second side of the wide section to the second end. This secondsection is made with means for turning the connecting member about acentral longitudinal axis thereof. The turning mechanism is located inthe region of the second end. During use of this connector, the turningmechanism is engageable with a turning tool to screw the connectingmember into or out of the rigid support in order to adjust the positionof the structure from the initial position towards a desired position.Also the threaded nut can be threaded onto the second section to securethe structure to the connector.

These and other aspects of the disclosed threaded connecting mechanismsand connectors will become more readily apparent to those havingordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those having ordinary skill in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains will more readily understand how to make and use thesubject invention, exemplary embodiments thereof will be described indetail herein below, with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fence post mounted on a concrete base,two vertical sides of the post being shown as well as its mountingplate;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a flag pole mounted on a concrete base locatedin the ground;

FIG. 3 is an axial, vertical cross-section of a first embodiment of athreaded connecting mechanism according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a side view of one version of an elongate connecting memberusable in the embodiment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top end view of the connecting member of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section of a second embodiment of a threadedconnecting mechanism constructed in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-section of a variation of the connectingmechanism of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top view of one form of flanged nut usable in the mechanismof FIG. 6 or FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the flanged nut of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is another top view of the flanged nut of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an axial cross-section taken along the line XI-XI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a top view of another form of flanged nut usable in themechanism of FIG. 6 or FIG. 7;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the flanged nut of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an axial cross-section of the flanged nut taken along theline IV-XIV of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an elevational view of two glass panels, one of which isshown edgewise, the panels being mounted to a balcony using threadedconnectors constructed according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one of the panelconnectors of FIG. 15 extending through one glass panel;

FIG. 17 is a side view of a hanger bolt according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 18 is a top end view of the hanger bolt;

FIG. 19 is an axial cross-section of a prior art anchor in itsunexpanded condition;

FIG. 20 is an axial cross-section of the anchor of FIG. 19 but in itsexpanded condition;

FIG. 21 is a side view of another type of known anchor;

FIG. 22 is a partial cross-sectional view of a known multi-use expansionanchor;

FIG. 23 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment ofan anchor member shown cast in concrete;

FIG. 24 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an anchor membersecured to a base or support using an adhesive;

FIG. 25 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an anchor memberinserted into a wooden or similar base;

FIG. 26A is side elevational view of a panel mounted to a support postor structure through utilization of a connector constructed inaccordance with an aspect of the invention;

FIG. 26B is a front elevational view of the panel and post shown in FIG.26A; and

FIG. 27 is a partial vertical cross-sectional and cut away view of FIG.26A showing the structural elements of the connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Shown in FIG. 1 is a fence post 10 of standard construction. The post iselongate and extends vertically in the usual case along a vertical,central axis indicated at A. It is important that the post be as uprightand vertical as possible in order that the fence may have a pleasingappearance and that it may connect properly with fence rails 12 that areattached to the post and extend horizontally. Commonly, but not shown inFIG. 1, a number of fence pickets or fence bars extend verticallybetween the rails and are supported thereby. When the fence is mountedon the ground, it is common to mount the bottom end of the post on aconcrete base indicated at 14, which is arranged in a hole dug in theground. The illustrated post is mounted on a concrete base having a flatupper surface for supporting the post. Rigidly and securely attached tothe bottom of the post is a square mounting plate 16, which can, forexample, be a solid plate or a plate with a central opening over whichthe post is mounted. The plate can be attached to the bottom of the postby welding. The post is rigidly and adjustably mounted on the concretebase 14 by means of threaded connecting mechanisms 20 described indetail below. Although only two such connecting mechanisms or connectorsare shown in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that more connectors, forexample four connectors located at the four corners, can be provided, ifdesired. As explained below, because the position of each of theseconnectors is adjustable, the orientation of the post itself can beadjusted so that its central axis A is vertical or plumb.

FIG. 2 illustrates another possible use of the threaded connectingmechanisms constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. Shownin this figure is an elongate flag pole 22, on the top of which ismounted a flag 24. It will be appreciated that the flag pole can besubstantially longer than a fence post and can, in fact, be 20, 30 ormore feet high. The pole extends along a central, vertical axisindicated at B. Again, for appearance purposes and for the pole to besupported properly, the central axis B should be as vertical aspossible. The illustrated pole is mounted on a concrete base 26, whichis sufficiently large and heavy to support the pole and keep it upright.Rigidly connected to the bottom of the pole is a mounting plate 28,which can be securely fastened to the concrete base by a plurality ofthreaded connectors or connecting mechanisms 20, constructed accordingto the present disclosure. The connectors 20 for the pole can be madelarger than those connectors used for shorter, lighter fence posts or agreater number of the connecting mechanisms can be used for mounting thepole.

A first exemplary embodiment of a threaded connecting mechanism 20constructed in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated inFIG. 3. The connector 20 is used to secure a structure such as theillustrated support plate 16 corresponding to the plate shown in FIG. 1.Only a portion of the plate 16 is shown in FIG. 3 and it is shown incross-section taken through the center of a connector hole 30 formed inthe plate. The threaded connecting mechanism 20 includes an anchormember 32 having a passageway 34 formed therein and extending to atleast one end 36 of the anchor member. The illustrated axial passagewayextends to both ends of the anchor member and it is threaded for atleast a portion of its length. The anchor member 32 has an unthreadedsection 40 of the passageway but it will be understood that the entirelength of the passageway can be threaded, if desired. The exemplaryanchor shown has an outwardly expanding end section 42 at its bottom endto increase the holding power of the anchor in the concrete base.

It will be understood that the concrete base can take various forms,depending on its particular function and location. For example, the base14 can be in the form of a concrete block or a poured concrete floor(see FIG. 23). Some types of anchor members (1001 in FIG. 23) areproperly positioned and held at the floor or base site prior to theliquid concrete being poured and thereafter rigidly held within thebase. FIG. 24 shows an anchor member 1002 rigidly attached to a base1003 using an adhesive 1004. The anchor member can take different forms.It can also be a drop anchor which is applied on already poured concrete(see FIG. 24). It is also possible for the supporting base to be a solidwood structure (1005 in FIG. 25), in which case the anchor member cantake the form of a metal insert 1006 having an external thread 1007suitable for rigid placement in a hole 1008 formed in the wood. Thismetal insert is formed with an internally threaded hole 1009.

Another component of this threaded connecting mechanism 20 is anelongate connecting member or stud 46 having a relatively wide centralsection 48 and externally threaded first and second sections 50, 52extending from opposite sides of the central section and being narrowrelative to the central section. The connecting member has a first end51 and an opposite second end 54. The first section 50 is threadableinto the passageway 34 to secure the connecting member to the anchormember. The first section extends from a first side of the wide section48 to the first end 51. The second section 52 forms the distal secondend 54 spaced from the central section 48 and extends from an oppositesecond side of the wide section. As shown, the first and second sections50, 52 are substantially equal in length but it will be appreciated thatthey can be of different lengths depending on the particular use of thethreaded connecting mechanism and other factors such as the thickness ofthe mounting plate 16.

A turning formation 56 is formed in the connecting member at the secondend 54 and, during use of the connector, this turning formation 56 isengageable with a turning tool (not shown) in order to thread theconnecting member into or out of the passageway 34. In the illustratedexemplary embodiment, the turning formation is a non-circular socket, inparticular a multi-sided socket into which can be inserted the end of atool such as an Allen key. If the connecting member is extendingvertically, then the height of the central section 48 and its topsurface 60 can be adjusted in this manner. Initially, the bottom surface62 can be spaced apart as shown in FIG. 3 from the top of the concretebase 14 so that later the height of the central section can be adjustedin either direction that is either upwardly or downwardly. Once theconnecting member has been threaded into the anchor member to a suitableinitial position, the mounting plate 16 can be placed onto theconnecting member with its second section 52 extending through the hole30. It will be noted that the diameter of the central section 48 islarger than the diameter of the hole 30 so that the plate will rest ontop surface 60.

FIG. 4 illustrates a variation of the connecting member 46 wherein thethreads on the first and second sections do not extend their entirelength. The threads 61 are spaced from the central section 48 as are theupper threads 63.

A third component of the threaded connector 20 is a standard threadednut 64, which can be formed with multiple sides so that it can be turnedand tightened with a tool such as a wrench. The nut is fitted onto thesecond section 52 above the mounting plate 16 and thus secures themounting plate to the connecting member. It will be understood thatseveral of the threaded connecting mechanisms 20 with their respectiveconnecting members 46 can be used to mount a structure such as a post,pole or machine. With the use of the present connectors, once theconnecting members have been inserted through their respective holes inthe mounting plate or in mounting flanges or in other types of mountingstructure, it is still possible to adjust the position of the mountingplate or mounting flanges or mounting structure by rotation of one ormore of the connecting members about their axes. Once the post, pole ormachine is properly positioned and properly oriented, the nut 64 isthreaded onto the second section 52 of each connecting member until ittightly engages the top of the mounting plate or mounting flange.

In one variation of the connecting arrangement shown in FIG. 3, acircular recess can be formed on the bottom side of the mounting plate16. This recess is sized to receive the central section 48 so it cannotbe seen after the post, pole or machine has been adjusted to its finalposition. This construction may provide a more pleasing appearance tothe overall assembly.

A second exemplary embodiment of a threaded connecting mechanismconstructed in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated inFIG. 6 and is indicated generally by reference 70. This connectingmechanism again can be used to secure at the desired height and in thedesired position a mounting plate 16 which can be part of a post, poleor machine. This connector includes an elongate anchor or connectingmember 72 having external threads formed thereon. As illustrated, thesethreads extend from a first end to an opposite second end thereof. Theanchor member extends into a supporting base 74 which can take a varietyof forms and be made of a variety of materials such as concrete orsteel. In the case of concrete, the anchor is held in place by asuitable holding arrangement while the liquid concrete is being poured.In the case of a metal base, the metal block or plate can be formed witha threaded hole to receive the anchor member. It will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that the anchor member can take a variety offorms different from that illustrated in FIG. 6. The anchor can, forexample, be a wedge anchor, a hangar bolt, a rivet stud or any othermale-threaded stud that can be rigidly and firmly attached to the base.

The connector 70 also includes flanged nut 76, which can also beidentified as a levelling nut. This nut is internally threaded, has acentral longitudinal axis, and is formed with a central passageway 78that extends from a bottom 80 of the nut to a top end 82. The bottom ofthe nut can also be referred to as an inner end of the nut while the topend can be referred to as an outer end. The annular flange 84 of the nutas illustrated extends in a circumferential direction completely aroundthe nut and is spaced from the outer or top end 82 of the nut. Theexemplary nut has its flange 84 located at the inner end of the nut andthe flange has a bearing surface for supporting the structure facingaway from its inner end. The nut 76 is threaded onto the connectingmember so as to secure the nut on the connecting member in a selectedposition, with an outer end section 86 of the anchor member projectingfrom the outer or top end of the nut. It will be appreciated that thenut has a relatively narrower portion 90 extending between the flangeand the outer end 82. The diameter of the flange is greater than that ofthe hole 30 formed in the mounting plate 16 and through which the narrowportion of the nut must extend for connecting purposes. Also the heightof the narrow portion should usually exceed the thickness of themounting plate 16 so that an upper end section of the narrow portionprojects from the top of the mounting plate.

The nut is formed with a turning formation, indicated generally byreference 92 for engagement with a nut-turning tool whereby, during useof this connecting mechanism, the nut can be turned by the tool in orderto adjust the nut's position after the structure (such as the plate 16)has been placed onto the nut and adjacent the flange 84. Thus the tool(not shown) can be used to thread the flanged nut closer to or furtherfrom the support or base 74. The turning formation 92 can take a varietyof forms, depending upon the tool to be used. It should be understoodthat the term “turning formation” as used herein includes one or morerecesses, one or more slots, or a socket arrangement. Although only oneflat sided recess is shown in FIG. 6, it will be appreciated that therecan be a plurality of such recesses distributed about the circumferenceof the nut. Not only can the turning formation, such as a recess orrecesses, be formed in the cylindrical side wall of the nut, but it isalso possible that the turning formation is formed in the top end 82.

The third component of the connector 70 is a second nut 100 which can bereferred to as a finishing nut since, at least in some applications ofthe connecting mechanism, this nut can be seen after final assembly. Thesecond nut 100 has a non-circular perimeter 102 so that it can berotated with a suitable tool such as a wrench. For example, the nut canhave six equal sides extending about its circumference. A threadedpassage 104 extends through this nut from the bottom side to the topside. The nut 100 is formed with an annular bottom recess 106 located atthe inner end of the nut extending around the threaded passageway 104and it is sized to accommodate and receive a top portion of the nut 76.Thus, the recess 106 has a diameter at least as great as a maximum widthof the narrower portion 90. The nut 100 is able to be tightened byturning so that it can secure the structure, in this case the mountingplate 16, to the connecting mechanism 70.

In order to use the threaded connector 70 of FIG. 6, the connectingmember 72 is first rigidly secured in the base which, as indicated, istypically concrete, wood, or metal. The flange nut 76 is then threadedon to the connecting member to a suitable position that should allow forsome subsequent adjustment. This initial position for the nut canprovide for a gap 110 between the bottom of the nut and the base. Thestructure to be anchored, which can include for example the mountingplate 16, is then placed on top of the connecting member and the nut 76so that it rests on the flange 84 of the nut. In many cases, there willbe several of the connecting mechanisms 70 used to secure a particularstructure such as a post or pole. In this situation, the mounting platesor mounting flanges of the structure are placed over all of theconnecting members and their respective nuts at the same time in orderto mount the structure. Once the structure rests on the flanges of thenuts, a turning tool is then engaged with the turning formation torotate the respective nut and thereby orient the structure in therequired upright or horizontal position. Once the proper orientation hasbeen achieved, the finishing nut or nuts 100 are threaded onto theirrespective connecting members to hold the structure in position.

Another embodiment of a threaded connecting mechanism constructedaccording to the present disclosure is illustrated by FIG. 7. Thisthreaded connecting mechanism is indicated generally by reference 112and is a variant of the threaded connector of FIG. 6. This threadedconnecting mechanism also includes an elongate connecting member oranchor 72 which is externally threaded and a flanged nut 76, which isshown separately in FIGS. 12 to 14 with a variant thereof illustrated inFIGS. 8 to 11. This flanged nut or levelling nut has a circumferentiallyextending flange 84 located at its bottom end. The user can rest on thisflange a mounting plate 120 which can of course be connected to astructure such as a post, pole or machine. However, unlike the mountingplate 16, the plate 120 is formed with an annular bottom recess 122,which acts to hide the flange 84 by receiving same when the mountingplate is in place on the nut.

In the nut 76, the turning formation comprises two recesses or notches124 (only one of which is shown) located at the top end of the narrowerportion 90 of the nut. These notches are located on diametricallyopposite sides of the nut and they can be engaged by a suitable tool(not shown) in order to thread the nut downwardly or upwardly on theanchor member 72.

Once the mounting plate 120 has been arranged on the flange of the nut76, a suitable flat washer 130 can be placed around the top end of thenut and on top of the plate 120. A second nut 132 is then threaded ontothe projecting end of the anchor member 72 and engages the top of thewasher to hold the mounting plate securely in place.

FIGS. 8 to 11 illustrate an alternate form of flanged nut that can beused with the connecting mechanism of FIG. 6 or FIG. 7. This flanged nut160 is internally threaded as shown in FIG. 11 and has a centrallongitudinal axis A. A central passageway 162 extends from a bottom endof the nut to a top end 164. An annular flange 166 extendscircumferentially around the nut and is located at the inner end of thenut. This nut 160 also has a turning formation, this formation beinglocated at the top end 164. In particular, the turning formationcomprises two squared notches 170 which are located on opposite sides ofthe nut. As in the case of the flanged nut 76, the flanged nut 160 canbe engaged by a nut turning tool, in this case one designed to engagethe two notches 170 in order to adjust the nut's position after thestructure has been placed onto the nut and adjacent the flange 166.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate another use of threaded connectorsconstructed in accordance with the present disclosure. Shown in FIG. 15are two rectangular glass panels indicated by references 135, 137, withthe panel 137 being shown edgewise. Panels of this type are generallymade of strong, thick glass in order that they are strong enough toserve the desired purpose. For example, tempered glass ½ inch thick orthicker is generally used for glass balustrades. The illustrated panelsare shown connected to two sides of a balcony 140 but such panels canalso be mounted along a mezzanine, a roof, or a stairway. It is commonto mount these panels using two rows of connectors as shown in FIG. 15,including an upper row and a lower row. Connecting mechanismsconstructed according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure areindicated generally by reference 142 and, as shown in FIG. 15, thesethreaded connecting mechanisms are anchored in the sides of a balcony,these sides sometimes referred to as fascia.

The details of the connecting mechanism 142 can be seen more clearlyfrom FIG. 16 in which the connecting mechanism is shown partially incross-section. The threaded connecting mechanism includes a cylindricalanchor member 144 which is rigidly connected to the fascia support 146and which is sometimes called a standoff. The anchor member can beembedded in the support or can be attached thereto by a mounting plate(not shown). The anchor member 144 has a passageway 148 formed thereinwhich is threaded in order to receive part of elongate connecting memberor stud 150. The stud 150 can be similar in its construction to theconnecting member 46 illustrated in FIG. 3 and it has a relatively widecentral section 152. Omitted from FIG. 16 for ease of illustration arestandard glass-protecting plastic washers, which can be located onopposite sides of the glass panel 137. The glass panel is placed overthe adjustable studs or connecting member 150 of a suitable number ofthe threaded connecting mechanisms. The back side of the panel is placedagainst the wide central section 152 (subject to the aforementionedplastic washer being between them). The position of the connectingmember 150 is then adjusted by means of a turning tool, which engagesthe end socket 56 located in the outer end of the stud. In this way, theglass panels can be vertically and horizontally aligned prior toattachment of the nuts 64, which are threaded onto their respectiveconnecting members or studs in order to press against the front side ofthe glass panel and thereby press the back side of the panel against thecentral sections of the studs.

In an alternative construction, the nuts 64 can be constructed in theform of caps so that the stud sockets 56 are not visible (if desired).

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a so-called hanger bolt 175 which isparticularly useful when the support to which the structure is to beattached is made of wood, for example a large wood beam or a wood floorin a structure. The bolt or connector 175 can be used in conjunctionwith an internally threaded nut such as the nut 64 shown in FIG. 3.Again the connector 175 can be used to allow an initial position of thestructure relative to the support to be adjusted. The hanger bolt 175comprises an integral connecting member having a first end 178 and anopposite second end 180. A relatively wide section 182 is spaced fromthese opposite ends and in the exemplary illustrated embodiment islocated in a central section of the connector. A first section 190extends from a first side 185 of the wide section to the first end 178.This first section forms a screw-like thread 192 which tapers to a pointat the end 178. An externally threaded second section 184 extends froman opposite second side 186 of the wide section to the second end 180.This second section is made with means for turning the connecting memberabout a central longitudinal axis thereof. This turning means isindicated generally at 196 in FIG. 18 and, in the illustratedembodiment, comprises a multi-sided end socket that can be engaged by aturning tool, for example an Allen key. It will thus be seen that duringuse of the connector or hanger bolt 175, the turning means or turningmechanism is engageable with a turning tool to screw the connector intoor out of a rigid support in order to adjust the position of thestructure from its initial position towards a desired position. Athreaded nut, such as the nut 64 shown in FIG. 3, can be threaded ontothe second section 184 to secure the structure to the connector. Again,it will be appreciated that a variety of turning means are possibleadjacent the second end 180, for example a pair of recesses formed inthe side of the second section, a reduced, multi-sided end section thatcan be engaged by a turning tool such as a wrench or pliers, etc. In theexemplary hanger bolt 175 shown in FIG. 17, the wide section 182 hasflat and annular sides at 185, 186.

FIGS. 19 to 22 illustrate various forms of prior art anchor devices thatcan be used in place of the anchor member shown in FIG. 3, for example.The prior art anchor illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 is described andillustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,329 issued Oct. 9, 1984 to ArturFischer. The illustrated fastener includes an expansible anchor 200provided with an internal thread 202 at its outer end. This fasteneralso has an expander pin 204. The anchor at its insertion end is formedwith an elongate bore 206 which projects beyond a slotted expandablepart 208. The part 208 is formed with elongated slots 210 deliminated bya circumferential groove 212 in the longitudinal direction andcircumferentially spaced from each other so as to form a plurality ofportions which can be radially spread.

The anchor 200 is located in a cylindrical hole 214 which is drilledinto the support structure 216 and the end of this hole remote from thepoint of entry is enlarged in its cross-sectional area as shown at 218so as to provide abutment surfaces for spreading portions of the anchoras shown in FIG. 20. The length of the bore 206 correspondsapproximately to the overall length of the expander pin 204 whichincludes an expander cone and a shank 220. A capsule 222 is filled witha bonding agent that is inserted into the bore of the anchor before theanchoring step. To anchor this impact fastener, the fastener is insertedinto the hole with the expander pin 204 at the base of the undercut. Theend face of the expandable anchor is struck so that the part formed withthe slots 210 is expanded and at the same time the capsule with thebonding agent is destroyed by the insertion and pressure of the shank ofthe expander pin. The expander pin and the anchor thus form one unitwhich does not permit the anchor to be pulled away. FIG. 20 alsoillustrates how a threaded connector 226 can be threaded into theanchor.

The prior art anchor of FIG. 21 is in the form of an expanding sleeve230 formed with an expanding skirt 232 that extends from the cylindricalbody 234. At one end of the body is a head flange 236 for fitting andholding the anchor in an accommodating hole in the support. The sleeveincludes an axial base portion 238 which is deformable in radialcompression and which extends between the ends 240 of the sleeve and anannular weakening groove 242. Adjacent the groove is an axial grippingportion 244 provided by peripheral grooves or channels to improve theanchorage of the sleeve in the support. An anchor of this type isdescribed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,207 issued Nov. 25,2003 to A. Gauthier. It will be understand that the bore formed in thebody portion 234 is tapped or threaded and thus this anchor is alsousable in the connecting mechanism of the type illustrated in FIG. 3.

A further type of known anchor that can be used with the connectingmechanism of FIG. 3 is illustrated in FIG. 22. This expansion anchor isdescribed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,944 issued Jul. 13,2010 to T. A. Wallek. This multi-use expansion anchor 250 includes athreaded bolt 252, an elastomeric sleeve 254 that the threaded boltpasses through longitudinally, a washer 256 that the threaded boltpasses through longitudinally, and a receiver 258 that the threaded boltis threaded into and tightened to create the compression of theelastomeric sleeve that holds this anchor device in a rigid substrate.The bolt includes a bolt head portion that is substantially circular anda threaded portion 260 extending from the bolt head. The elastomericsleeve may have an inner passageway that corresponds to the threadedportion of the bolt. This sleeve may include a rubber material, apolymer material, or a similar resilient material. The receiver 258includes an inner portion 262 having threads corresponding to thethreaded portion of the bolt. The receiver can include a retainingflange 264 that keeps the anchor device from withdrawing into the holewhen it is tightened. The receiver can have a hex head 266 thatprotrudes out from the retaining flange and that can be engaged by awrench, socket or other tool to rotate the receiver. It will beunderstood that the thread inside the receiver allows attachment of athreaded connector. This type of anchor is also usable with the type ofconnecting mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3.

As discussed above, FIGS. 23, 24 and 25 depict different forms of anchormembers that are rigidly secured within a structure. That structure maybe a base, a floor or a wide variety of other objects. Here, the anchormembers are secured to the structure without necessarily using anexpanded bottom end section. In each instance the anchor is rigidlysecured to the structure or base in order to permit the rigid securingof a stud that may be received within the anchor. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 23, the anchor member 1001 is cast into a concrete base.The anchor member may thus include non-linear projections to helprigidly secure the anchor within the concrete. In this instance thenon-linear projection is in the form of an end portion 1100 thatprojects at an approximate right angle from the longitudinal axis of theanchor. Other non-linear projections could also be used.

In FIG. 24 the anchor member 1002 is a metal or similarly rigid sleevethat is rigidly secured within base 1003 through the use of adhesive1004. The anchor may have radial flanges, channels, ribs, a roughenedexterior surface, etc to receive adhesive and to help increase theintegrity of the mounting of the anchor within the base. It will beappreciated that, as in the case of the anchor shown in FIG. 23, theanchor shown in FIG. 24 will be permanently secured or attached to thestructure or base.

FIG. 25 shows yet a further embodiment of anchor member 1006 which is inthe form of a metal or similarly rigid sleeve or insert having anexternal thread 1007 for receiving within an appropriately sized hole1008 within base 1005. Anchor 1006 includes an internal threaded hole1009 for receiving the threaded stud. In this embodiment it is expectedthat the base will in many instances be wooden, however, it will beappreciated that when made from appropriate materials and, with asufficient external thread and size of hole within the base, anchor 1006could be threaded into a base formed from a number of other materials,including concrete. When threaded or screwed into base 1005, anchor 1006will be rigidly secured to the base and largely permanent in nature asremoval or attempted removal of the anchor will leave permanent andlingering damage to the base.

It will be appreciated that the anchor members in the embodiments ofFIGS. 23, 24 and 25 each include one or more external mounting membersto assist in rigidly securing the anchor member to the base and to helpprevent the non-destructive removal of the anchor member from the base.In the case of FIG. 23 the external mounting member is a non-linearprojection in the form of an end portion 1100 that projects at anapproximate right angle. In the case of FIG. 24 the external mountingmember is a radial flange, a channel, a rib, a roughened exteriorsurface, etc that receives adhesive to help increase the integrity ofthe mounting of the anchor within the base. Finally, in the case of FIG.25 the external mounting member is thread 1007. In each instance theanchor member will be rigidly and permanently or semi-permanentlysecured to the base, such that removal of the anchor member will resultin at least some degree of damage or a destruction of the base and/orthe anchor member. That is, the anchor member cannot be removed withoutdestroying either the anchor or the base, or without there being aresulting, lasting or lingering damage to the base. In the case of ananchor that is set into concrete or that is held in place through use ofan adhesive, removing the anchor will cause some degree of damage to thebase or the hole in the base. Similarly, where the base is wooden,threading the anchor into the base will case the threads to bite intothe wood and to cause a degree of damage that will remain should theanchor subsequently be removed.

FIGS. 26A, 26B and 27 illustrate yet a further embodiment of theinventive connector. It is expected that in this embodiment the primaryuse of the connector will be to secure or mount a panel or panel-likemember to a structure, which may be a post, a wall or other supportingstructure. For illustration purposes in FIGS. 26A, 26B, and 27 the panelis a glass panel 1010 and the structure is a post 1011. The particularstructure of connector 1012 is shown more specifically in FIG. 27. InFIG. 27 connector 1012 is used to secure glass panel 1010 to post 1011.Post 1011 includes a bottom flange 1014 that is secured or otherwisefastened to base 1013. In many instances it is expected that base 1013will be a balcony or deck structure, with the glass panel 1010 providinga safety barrier about the perimeter of the balcony or deck.

Support post 1011 will typically include a plurality of threaded boresor passageways 1015 for receiving a correspondingly threaded elongateone-piece stud 1016 of connector 1012. Stud 1016 includes a first endfor receipt within bore 1015 and a second opposite end. Preferably, atleast two such studs are threaded into two separate, spaced apart, bores1015 within support post 1011. As shown in FIG. 27, threaded stud 1016includes a relatively wide section spaced apart from its ends. The widesection may be in the form of an enlarged radial portion 1017 that iseither integrally formed with the stud or rigidly mounted or otherwisesecured thereto. Enlarged radial portion 1017 also sits in a plane thatis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stud. Thelength of the portion of the threaded stud extending from enlargedradial portion 1017 to the first end of the stud (a first section of thestud) is sufficient to allow the stud to be threaded into bore 1015 andto rigidly secure the stud to the post. A sufficient length (a secondsection) of the stud extends from the opposite side of the enlargedradial portion to permit a panel (such as glass panel 1010) to besecured thereto.

The second end of stud 1016 (ie that is not received within threadedbore 1015) includes means to permit the stud to be rotated so that itcan be readily threaded into or out of bore 1015. Although the means torotate the stud can vary significantly, in most instances, it isexpected that it will comprise a turning formation 1018 engagable with aturning tool (not shown) in order to thread the connector into or out ofbore 1015. For example, in one embodiment the turning formation may be amulti-sided socket into which can be inserted the end of a tool such asan Allen wrench.

Connector 112 further includes a threaded nut 1019 that may bethreadably receivable about the second or outer end of threaded stud1016. Nut 1019 can take any one of a wide variety of commonly usedshapes (for example a standard hexagonal nut). For aesthetic purposesnut 1019 could be decorative in appearance (for example, a knurled nut,or a generally circular nut that requires the use of a specialized toolfor tightening and loosening).

One particular use of connector 1012 will now be described withreference once again to FIGS. 26A, 26B and 27. In these Figuresconnector 1012 is used to secure a glass panel 1010 to a pair of supportposts 1011. Each of the support posts include a pair of threaded bores1015 that are spaced apart vertically from one another and generally inthe same vertical plane. The glass panel includes passageways or borestherethrough that act as mounting openings and that align with thethreaded bores in the support post when the glass panel is broughtadjacent to the posts. In this embodiment four connectors 1012 areutilized to secure the panel to the posts.

Each of the connectors are first threaded into a respective bore withinone of the posts until their enlarged radial portions 1017 are incontact with the exterior surface of the post. A first spacer 1020 isslid over the second or outer ends of studs 1016, after which the glasspanel is mounted on the studs so that the outer ends of the studs arereceived through the holes or passageways in the panel. A second spacer1021 is then slid over the second or outer ends of studs 1016. Nuts 1019are then threaded over the ends of the studs and tightened in place inorder to compress the glass panel between the enlarged radial portions1017 and the threaded nuts 1019 of each connector (with a spacerpositioned about the stud on each side of the glass panel). Spacers 1020and 1021 will typically be formed from silicone, rubber, a pliableplastic, felt, nylon, wood or other material, and in one embodiment arecompressible spacers.

It will thus be appreciated that the described structure will provide amechanism to easily, quickly and securely mount a glass panel to asupport post. Tightening threaded nut 1019 will hold the glass panel incompression, maintaining it in place. The spacers will help to preventvibration. In the event that support post 1012 is not preciselyvertical, the structure of the connectors permits a “fine tuning” of thevertical orientation of the glass panel through merely rotating one ormore studs slightly outwardly. For example, if to “plumb” the glasspanel it is determined that the top of the panel must be tipped towardthe support post, turning formation 1018 of the lower stud can be usedto rotate the stud and to slightly unthread it from bore 1015. This willhave the effect of pushing the lower portion of the glass panel awayfrom the support post, with the upper portion of the glass panel beingmoved slightly toward the support post.

Similarly, if it is determined that in order to vertically plumb theglass panel the upper end of the panel must be tipped away from thesupport post, turning formation 1018 of the upper threaded stud can beused to rotate the stud slightly out of threaded bore 1015, therebypushing the upper end of the glass panel away from the support post.Horizontal alignment of the panel (for example, aligning the side edgesof two adjacent panels) can also be achieved by rotating both studssecured to one of the posts.

It will be appreciated that where the spacers are compressible, theywill not only protect the glass panel from being scratched or damagedfrom the enlarged radial portion of the stud and/or the nut, but thatthey will also provide a degree of compressibility to help facilitatethe vertical alignment of the glass panel when one of the threaded studsis rotated slightly outwardly from the threaded bore. Thecompressibility of the spacers will also permit the threaded nuts to betightened snugly against the glass panel without damaging the panel andto help prevent vibration of the panel.

In a further embodiment of the invention, threaded nuts 1019 are capnuts that cover and obstruct from view the end of the stud and turningformation 1018 when the nuts are threaded onto the end of the stud. Whenpanel 1010 is installed on studs 1016 and requires an adjustment, thecap nut threaded on the stud in question can be removed to exposeturning formation 1018, after which the stud and be rotated as requiredto adjust the panel. Thereafter, the cap nut 1019 can be reinstalled tosecure the panel in place, and to both present a visually appealingappearance and discourage tampering with stud 1016 by restricting accessto turning formation 1018.

From an understanding of the embodiment of the connector shown in FIGS.26A, 26B and 27, it will be appreciated that the described deviceprovides not only a means to quickly, easily and efficiently secure apanel to a support post or other object, but that it also provides aneffective and fast mechanism by which fine adjustments can be made tothe panel in order to vertically orient it, and to orient it along itslateral edge with an abutting or adjacent panel member.

While the present invention has been illustrated and described asembodied in various exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood thatthe present invention is not limited to the details shown herein, sinceit will be understood that various omissions, modifications,substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the disclosedconnectors and their method of use may be made by those skilled in theart without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

I claim:
 1. A threaded connector for securing a panel member to astructure and for adjusting the position of the panel member relative tothe structure, said connector comprising: an elongate, one-piece studhaving first and second opposite ends, a relatively wide section spacedfrom said opposite ends, a relatively narrow, externally threaded firstsection extending from a first side of said wide section to the firstend, and a relatively narrow, externally threaded second sectionextending from an opposite second side of the wide section to saidsecond end, said relatively wide section being integrally connected tothe externally threaded first and second sections, said first sectionbeing threadable into a passageway within the structure in order tosecure the stud to the structure, when said first section threaded intoa passageway within the structure said first side of said wide sectiongenerally adjacent to said structure, said second section being adaptedand sized for insertion through a mounting opening in the panel memberin order to mount the panel member on said stud and on said oppositesecond side of the wide section, at least a portion of said externallythreaded second section extending through the panel member when thepanel member is mounted thereon, said stud including a turning formationfor turning said stud about a central longitudinal axis thereof, saidturning formation being located at said second end; a first spacerpositioned about said externally threaded first section of said stud andadjacent to said opposite side of said wide section, a threaded nutthreadable onto said second section in order to secure the panel memberon said connector, and a second spacer positioned about said secondsection of said stud between said threaded nut and the panel member,wherein, during use of the connector, said turning formation isengageable with a turning tool in order to thread said stud into or outof the passageway in the structure to thereby adjust the position of thepanel member relative to the structure.
 2. The connector as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said first and second spacers are compressible.
 3. Theconnector as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and secondcompressible spacers contact opposite sides of the panel member.
 4. Theconnector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said turning formation is anon-circular socket formed in the second end.
 5. The connector asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said wide section is approximately midwayalong the length of the connecting member, said first and second sidesof the wide section are flat and annular, and said wide section isunthreaded.
 6. The connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the panelmember is a glass panel.
 7. The connector as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid threaded nut is a cap nut that obscures said turning formation whensaid threaded nut is received on said second section of said stud.
 8. Athreaded connecting mechanism for securing a structure to a support andadjusting the position of the structure relative to the support, saidstructure including a mounting member with a mounting opening formedtherein, said connecting mechanism comprising: a one piece, elongateanchor member for rigid securement to the support, said anchor memberhaving a passageway formed therein, said passageway extending to an endof the anchor member and being threaded for at least a portion of itslength; an elongate, one-piece connecting member having first and secondopposite ends, a relatively wide section spaced from said opposite ends,a relatively narrow, externally threaded first section extending from afirst side of said wide section to the first end, and a relativelynarrow, externally threaded second section extending from an oppositesecond side of the wide section to said second end, said relatively widesection being integrally connected to the externally threaded first andsecond sections, said first section being threadable into saidpassageway in order to secure the connecting member to said anchormember, said second section being adapted and sized for insertionthrough said mounting opening in order to mount said mounting member onsaid opposite second side of the wide section and being formed with aturning formation for turning said connecting member about a centrallongitudinal axis thereof, said turning formation being located at saidsecond end; and a threaded nut threadable onto said second section inorder to secure said mounting member of the structure to the connectingmember.
 9. The connecting mechanism of claim 8 wherein said anchormember includes one or more external mounting members to assist inrigidly securing said anchor member to the support and to prevent theremoval of the anchor member from the support without resulting inlasting damage to the anchor member or the support.
 10. The connectingmechanism of claim 8 wherein said one or more external mounting memberscomprise a non-linear projection.
 11. The connecting mechanism of claim10 wherein said non-linear projection is at approximately 90 degrees thelongitudinal axis of said anchor member.
 12. The connecting mechanism ofclaim 8 wherein said one or more external mounting members comprise aroughened exterior surface, one or more radial flanges, one or morechannels, or one or more ribs.
 13. The connecting mechanism of claim 8wherein said one or more external mounting members comprises an externalthread.